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Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline holds to the conviction that criminal charges against the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic were discredited by flawed decisions of prosecutors in Topeka and Olathe.

He portrayed dissolution of his case against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri as the outcome of a conspiracy to shield abortion providers in Kansas.

Topeka attorney Pedro Irigonegaray, who is representing Planned Parenthood, referred to the theory as a fantasy designed to shift attention from Kline's "incompetent prosecution" and "abuse of political power."

Kline said a web of "corruption and cover up" featured Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe, Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, and former Attorneys General Steve Six and Paul Morrison.

"Now," Kline said, "none of these charges will ever reach open court."

Dropping of these charges put an end to all 107 charges filed in 2007 against the clinic by Kline, the GOP anti-abortion stalwart who began his crusade nine years ago while attorney general and concluded his official role while serving as district attorney in Johnson County.

Of particular irritation to Kline was Howe's decision to step away from the 23 felony "false writing" charges related to the alleged fabrication of reports on abortions performed in 2003. Howe cited lack of documentary evidence of the crime, because authenticated records pivotal to the case brought by Kline no longer existed.

"Ultimately," Howe said, "the decision should be about the law and the evidence.”

Kline, however, said records capable of advancing prosecution of Planned Parenthood on false writing counts could have been Howe's for the asking. A set is under lock and key in the Shawnee County Courthouse, placed there by District Court Judge Richard Anderson.

Kline asserted files held by Anderson were important because a set was shredded in 2009 by Six, who was appointed attorney general by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius after Morrison resigned, and the originals were discarded in 2005 by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

"This obstruction by the Sebelius administration and her appointees was harmful to the case but not fatal," Kline said.

Kline said Howe, a Republican who defeated Kline in the 2008 campaign for district attorney in Johnson County, could have chosen to proceed by securing Anderson's set of records.

Patient medical documents placed in storage by Anderson in January of this year indicated Planned Parenthood worked with Wichita physician George Tiller to arrange improper abortions, Kline said.

"Howe's office never made any written request (of Anderson) for the records," Kline said.

Kline also expressed disappointment in Taylor, who became involved in the records flap after Schmidt requested the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department perform an independent inquiry into the mystery of records destruction by Six.

Schmidt said the attorney general's office no longer had "a usable, authenticatable copy" of the Planned Parenthood records.

Likewise, Howe said no "complete" trial-worthy set existed at the Johnson County District Attorney's office in Olathe.

Based on the sheriff department's investigation in Shawnee County, Taylor concluded in February that Six destroyed records involving the prosecution and acquittal of Tiller in 2009 for alleged violation of Kansas law in providing abortion services.

Records jettisoned by Six didn't pertain "in any way" to the Planned Parenthood charges, Taylor said.

"I have absolutely no concern that the (records) investigation was properly done," Taylor said.

He said investigators in Shawnee County examined Anderson's copies of abortion records.

"We went up and looked at them," Taylor said. "Did we ask them for copies of them? No."

Taylor said Kline should have taken legal steps while serving as a prosecutor to mandate preservation of the abortion clinic documents and guarantee proper chain of custody of the evidence.

Taylor also said Kline's criticism reflected disappointment with outcome of the cases against Tiller and Planned Parenthood.

Schmidt said issues raised by Kline about missing records were a moot point.

"I don't have any reason to doubt the quality of that investigation" by Shawnee County officials, the attorney general said. "They did not pursue any action."

This verdict didn’t satisfy Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue in Wichita.

Newman said the organization intended to file ethics complaints against Howe and Taylor, "who failed in his duty to investigate the destruction of evidence requested by Schmidt."

"Howe and Schmidt wanted this case to go away," Newman said, "so they used a smoke-and-mirrors excuse that confused the public and falsely represented that a prosecution could not move forward."

Forklifts would be required to transport remaining documents marking twists and turns of Kline's campaign to prosecute the two abortion providers in Kansas. Complex criminal cases against Tiller, who specialized in late-term abortions, and Planned Parenthood resulted in no convictions.

Tiller is dead, murdered in 2009 during a church service by a anti-abortion zealot. Planned Parenthood's clinic remains open for business.

Kline, an assistant professor of law at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., faces indefinite suspension of his law license by the Kansas Supreme Court for alleged ethical misconduct in the Planned Parenthood and Tiller cases.

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Even though Kline may have zealously persued abortion doctors, etc. so on and so forth, but I believe that what he was wanting was to get hold of sexual predators, prosecute them, and put them in jail where they belong.

Not that this isn't here nor there but everyone knows that Kline and Sebelius (then Governor) didn't like each other. Sebelius even had Tiller over to Cedar Crest for dinner.....during that time when Kline was in office.

Phill Kline alleging corruption in the Kansas abortion case is the pot calling the kettle black.

It is certainly projecting his own criminal actions onto those who have correctly applied the law to overrule Kline's attempt at overzealous prosecution and for lying to the Court both of which he is about to be disbarred for.

I have no doubt that Mr Kline is a nut who will not recognize any compromise or decision that does not give him 100% of what he thinks his case deserves and a parade when it is over. But the opposition is not completely without an agenda as well, even if they are serving the best interest of the state and believe that they are serving the greater good of the public.

This is a subject that is sacred to both parties, for good and legitimate reasons, any case law that will impact policy need to be more open than usual and decided in a way that is easily understood by the public and written in a way that can be modified by the legislature should the public see fit.

"Sebelius even had Tiller over to Cedar Crest for dinner.....during that time when Kline was in office."

Dr. Tiller was a respected doctor in the state. It was none of Kline's business that the governor had the doctor in for dinner. It's not as if Dr. Tiller was a legislator and they were conducting state business in secret.

"Dr. Tiller was a respected doctor in the state. It was none of Kline's business that the governor had the doctor in for dinner. It's not as if Dr. Tiller was a legislator and they were conducting state business in secret."

states Don't blame me for doing what I did. Blame those who conspired against me. People saw illegal behavior and went after the perpetrator. Who is to blame? Of course Kline is. Kline, you did the deed. Now take your punishment like a man.

and don't play on on TV, but I do have some experience with evidence and prosecution. From my days it was always that the (many) prosecutors I worked with would not file a case UNTIL we had the evidence. And by that I mean secured, with a chain of custody intact. There was no file 100 or so charges and then we collect the evidence later (if it is still around) and we didn't rely on copies of copies of copies that might be available to someone. It was always find the evidence, secure it, and THEN file charges.

But, then I didn't have a bunch of attorneys, governors, and people from my own political party 'conspiring' against me. I just had prosecutors who actually knew what the law was and what acceptable legal practice was.

His ludicrous claims do not merit free publication. Allowing an opposing view into the article is not sufficient. Printing character assassination propagated by such a thoroughly discredited source is unconscionable at least and actionable at worst. I suggest editorial staff think a little harder next time before spending any ink on this man's baseless rantings.

the voters of Kansas elected this guy. But then again they elected Kobach; he's Kline without the self-pitying honesty. Oh yes, and Mr. Kobach is transparently in it for himself; not even any pretension to the sort of morals which motivate Kline.

When 12 and 13 year olds are brought to planned parenthood for abortions it's because of rape, human trafficing and most likely incest in some cases. How Sebelious, Howe, Morrison, and apparently even Schmidt can coordinate the coverup of crimes against these young girls is despicable. You can hate Kline all you want to but I believe the officials named above will face judgement from God for their role in faciliting sexual preditors to rape underage girls. There is no protection for these girls and there is no justice in Kansas for the perpetrators of these dark, horrendous crimes. I guess the laws requiring medical personnel to report child abuse don't apply to planned parenthood.

Clarity there is a small problem with your thinking. You are making the assumption that 12 and 13 year old girls only get pregnant by sexual predictors. The small problem is that in real life most of the time the boys are minors too. Take a good look a crime statistics and you find that abduction rape by strangers is very rare. Even human trafficking and incest are rare crimes. Really, it's just a bunch of kids going with nature.

Judging only by the content of your post, I believe you have been watching too much TV. Your opinions are biased based on fiction or insidious glorification thereof. The media has brainwashed you with shows like Law and Order - Special victims unit and the like. Go ahead look into the actual crime statistics. I have and certainly cannot defend the actions of some people but nonetheless, what you see on TV is not commonplace in real life.

I also would say some of these come from teenagers parking at the State lakes, jumping the fence at the North Topeka Community Center and going swimming with their boy/girlfriends and so on. .
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Secondly, what's the red mark on Kline's lip in the main page photo?? Ewwwww!

I hope he files the ethics complaint. He needs to wait until the Gov gets some more right wingers in first, then we can move forward. Tiller most likely went to Gov's mansion to do some abortions. I can almost guarantee that there is evidence out there. I will admit that neither side is squeaky clean, but some truth is being hidden and supressed. Reading the article, it is VERY biased and anti-Kline. Typical CJ left-wing journalists.

...so I'll simply say, "well stated!" Why do those completely against abortions ALWAYS claim that there must have been a crime committed if an under age girl gets pregnant? Surely they've heard about the birds and the bees. In the not-so-distant past it was common for girls as young as 12 could and would get married and start having children. The female body is actually suited for having children at a young age. (no. I'm NOT condoning it) I'm merely pointing out that fact of nature. Young girls have hormones and a sex drive, too. And grown men aren't usually interested in children as sexual partners, either. So to flippantly say there must be a crime because a young girl is pregnant is horribly misguided, at best...

Phill Kline isn't stalwart at anything other than being a total slimeball. I never saw a person so thoroughly despised by his fellow Republicans. Even his old accomplice, Derek Schmidt, is distancing himself from Kline. Seeing Kline in the news is kind of stepping in dog poop and people say 'what's that smell?'.

WHY does the newspaper keep talking to this nutjob? He ALWAYS blames someone else for the fact that HE was the PROBLEM. There was no corruption, there was not coverup. He went on this personal agenda crusade where he abused his power, LIED to judges and was kicked out of office not one but twice. He tries to martyr himself and no SANE person is buying it. GO AWAY!

Gov. Sebelius did NOT just 'have Dr.Tiller over for dinner'. That dinner was DONATED as a silent auction item. She had no control over who purchased it. If Brownback has donated a dinner with the Governor and Dr. Tiller bought it, he would have had Dr. Tiller for dinner! It isn't like Sebelius just called and invited him!